Airlines had to deal with three times more difficult or unruly passengers last year than in 2023

The IAA’s latest annual safety performance review reveals a total of 1,432 “events” during 2024 involving a difficult or unruly passenger compared to 426 in 2023 – an increase of 226% over a 12-month period. File photo: Sasko Lazarov/© RollingNews.ie

The number of incidents involving difficult and unruly passengers on commercial flights operated by airlines certified by the Irish Aviation Authority more than trebled last year to over 1,400.

The IAA’s latest annual safety performance review reveals a total of 1,432 “events” during 2024 involving a difficult or unruly passenger compared to 426 in 2023 – an increase of 226% over a 12-month period. The figures show that troublesome passengers were the second most common source of potential safety incidents reported to the IAA last year after bird strikes which were recorded in 1,650 events.